FormVerb (Position 2) + gern(e) (Mittelfeld)
Meaning and usage
To say that you like doing something, put gern after the verb. The verb stays in second position and gern usually comes straight after it: Ich spiele gern Fußball. In the negative, nicht gern means you do not like doing it: Ich spreche nicht gern über meine Probleme. The longer form gerne means the same and is very common.
English speakers often put gern in front of the verb, as in Ich gern spiele Fußball, but the verb must stay in position 2, so gern comes after it. To say that you like a thing rather than an activity, use mögen: Ich mag Fußball.
Examples 5
Ich gehe gerne zu Fuß zur Schule.
I like walking to school.
Welche Art von Musik hörst du gern?
What kind of music do you like listening to?
Ich lebe nicht gern auf dem Land.
I don't like living in the country.
Ich spreche nicht gern über meine Probleme.
I don't like to talk about my problems.
Geht ihr noch immer gern ins Kino?
Do you still enjoy going to movies?
Test yourself
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1 Sprachbausteine
Meine Schwester gern Musik.
Show answer
Correct answer: hört
The subject Meine Schwester is third person singular, so the verb needs the ending -t: hört. gern stays after the verb.
- hören is the infinitive and does not fit a third person singular subject here.
- höre is first person singular and would go with ich, not Meine Schwester.
- gehört is the past participle and needs a helping verb, which is not present.
In this topic: Modal verbs
- Modalverb + … + Infinitiv modal verb second, main verb at the end
- ich kann, er kann ich and er forms of können: no ending, no umlaut
- können can, be able to, know how to
- müssen must, have to
- wollen want to
- möchte would like, polite way to say what you want
- dürfen may, be allowed to; asking permission
- sollen should, be supposed to, someone else's instruction
- mögen to like, mostly with a noun
- Verb + gern like doing something
- nicht müssen, nicht dürfen not have to vs must not
Example sentences from Tatoeba, used under CC BY 2.0 FR. See sources.